Document 1 (JP 2012-173837 A) teaches a technique for allowing a communications terminal (mobile telecommunications terminal) to read information about a plurality of target communications partner terminals (contactless communications media) via wireless communication.
Document 1 teaches using, as targets, a plurality of storage boxes aligned and piled up densely at a single predetermined location and reading information about communications partner terminals, which are electronic tags such as radio frequency identifiers (RFID) tags attached to those storage boxes, using a communications terminal. According to Document 1, the person in charge of reading performs the operation of reading information about the electronic tags attached to those storage boxes by directing the communications terminal toward the storage boxes. This allows the communications terminal to acquire information about all electronic tags at a time that are present within a range in which the communications terminal is able to establish wireless communication.
While the read operation is performed, however, a fading phenomenon, causing a variation in the reception level of radio waves transmitted from the communications terminal, sometimes takes place due to interference of the radio waves resulting from reflection of the radio waves, thus possibly producing a space, in which communication loses its stability (i.e., a so-called “null spot”), around the communications terminal. Then, if any communications partner terminal is present in such a space around the communications terminal where communication loses its stability, communication between the communications partner terminal and the communications terminal may be unable to be established successfully.